The disclosure refers to a passive cross bar memory device and a corresponding method of manufacture.
Passive cross bar memory devices include an array of parallels strips of top and bottom electrodes crossing each other and having a layer of a bistable resistive switching material sandwiched between them. The resistive switching material comprises two stable states which differ in the resistance of the layer: A low resistive (“ON”) state and a high resistive (“OFF”) state. By applying a positive or a negative voltage pulse, it is possible to switch between these states. The state of the switch is stored non-volatile, i.e. it is thus sustained even if no voltage is applied to the switch. Accordingly, by applying a voltage of a correct intensity and polarity between one of the strips of the top electrodes and one of the strips of the bottom electrodes the bistable resistive switching material in the region sandwiched between the top and bottom electrodes where a memory cross point is formed can be switched from a state of high conductivity to a state of low conductivity defining, for example, the binary states “0” and “1”. Reversing the voltage with a sufficient intensity will cause a switching of the bistable switching material back to a state of a high conductivity.